Improvement in car-couplings



F. M. STRINGER & W. C. HIXSUN.

Car-Couplings.

N0.151,672. Patentedjune2.l874.

Attorneys.

IMF/IOfOi/THUERIF/l/C' 00.. K lossmr/zsuacsss UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK M. STRINGER AND WILLIAM C. HIXSON, OF ADENA, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 151,672, dated J une 2, 1874 application filed May 6, 1874.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FREDERICK M. STRINGER and WILLIAM G. HIXSUN, of Adena, in the county of Jefferson and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings for Railroad-Oars; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, ref erence being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

The nature of our invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a car-coupling, which is not only selficoupling, but also self-uncoupling when either car should, by any accident, be thrown from the track and turn over, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our car-coupling. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

A A represent the two draw-bars or drawheads, which are to be attached to the cars in any suitable manner. The draw-heads A are made solid, as shown, and at the back part of each on the upper side is made a V-shaped notch or offset, a, the sides of which are inclined, so that the bottom angle with the upper side of the draw-head will be less than a right angle. Near the front end of the drawhead is insert-ed or inlaid a cross-bar, d, the ends of which form upward and outward projecting beveled guides b I). A suitable distance back of this cross-bar is a hook, B, provided with a shank, j, which is inserted vertically in, and firmly secured to, the draw-head. The front and top of the hook B is beveled or curved, as shown. On top of the back part of the draw-head is secured a spring, 0, which extends forward and rests upon the top of the hook B. D represents the coupling-bar, made in fiat shape, and provided near one end with a slot, h, of such size as to fit over either hook B. This end i of the coupling-bar is V-shaped, and the sides of the V beveled to fit in and under the V-shaped notch a of the draw-head. The other end on of the coupling-bar is blunt and rounded, and in this end is an enlarged slot or aperture, h.

To couple two cars the bar D should be placed with its end i in the notch a on one of the draw-heads, the hook B passing through the slot h, and the spring 0 resting on top of the hook. The coupling-bar is held horizontal and firm by the notch a, so that when the cars come together the end m of the couplingbar will necessarily come in between the guides b b, and be by themguided so as to lift the spring 0 and pass over the hook B, until said hook can pass through the aperture h, when the coupling is completed.

In case that by any accident one of the cars should turn over, the end 012 of the couplingbar I) will easily and quickly disengage itself, the other end i being held firmly in its drawhead, as above described.

This car-couplin g is simple, cheap, and durable. There is nothing to get out of order, and the parts being made solid and strong, there is no danger of any breakage.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The solid draw-head A, provided with beveled V-shaped notch a, hook B, side guides b b, and spring 0, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The flat coupling-bar D, constructed as described, with beveled V-shaped end i, blunt rounded end m, slot h, and aperture It, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the solid draw-heads A A, with hooks B B and beveled Vshaped notches a a, the springs O O, and couplingbar D, all constructed substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 27th day of April, 1874.

FREDERICK M. STRINGER. \VILLIAM O. HIXSON.

\Vitnesses G. W. WILsoN, THOMAS A. WATKINs. 

